(CNN) – In an evangelical message Wednesday, Minessota Rep. Michele Bachmann gave one piece of advice to students at the country's largest Christian university: "Don't settle."

It's a line she's recently pushed to Republican voters, urging the GOP not to "settle" on leading GOP presidential candidates.
But on Wednesday she turned the phrase into one laced with heavy spiritual themes.

"Don't settle for anything less than what this great and almighty God has planned for you," Bachmann said in a speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

The White House hopeful described her experience becoming a Christian as a 16-year-old, when she said she walked into a church one day with some friends and felt called to the altar.

"We began weeping before the Lord," Bachmann said. "I was a sinner, and I had a heart that needed to be cleaned. And I thank God that the Holy Spirit put that call before me."

In the following days, Bachmann said she "radically abandoned" herself to God and began waking up at 5 a.m. to read books from the Bible, including Lamentations, Jeremiah, and 2 Chronicles.

"Not exactly what you would consider great reading at 5 a.m., but for a new believer in Jesus Christ, I couldn't get enough," Bachmann said.

An unapologetic social conservative, Bachmann's ties to her faith have twice hit in the spotlight since she kicked off her presidential bid.

In July, accusations were made that her family's Christian counseling clinic had used a questionable therapy to encourage gay and lesbian patients to change their sexual orientation.

And due to her religious beliefs, Bachmann fielded a controversial question at a GOP debate asking if she would be a "submissive" wife to her husband should she make it to the White House.

On Wednesday, the congresswoman occasionally touched on politics in her speech, mostly blasting President Barack Obama's health care reform for including funding for abortions, which can only be used in the case of rape, incest, or if the life of a woman is in danger.

She also took issue with Obama's approval of an Institute of Medicine recommendation that health insurance fully cover birth control, including the so-called "morning-after" pill.

"We need to stand up to government takeover," she said.

But Bachmann, who's seen her poll numbers drop into the single digits over the last month, mostly charged the students not to settle on their faith.

"Usually when we settle, it's a short-term ease," Bachmann said. "But it's the long-term hard that the Lord often asks us to choose."

I`m not sure if aethists are growing but Traditional Democrats are and, even when they are Christians, they tend to be Constitutional purists that reject the ever increasing efforts by Republicans to institute Christianity as the national religion.

September 29, 2011 12:11 am at 12:11 am |

Maxwell

I'll be sure and get my spiritual lesson from her next time I am handling live poisonous snakes. Thanks, but there is only one God, and it ain't her.

September 29, 2011 12:21 am at 12:21 am |

Sam

Right now it seems like settling for last place is the only place this candidate will be.

September 29, 2011 12:21 am at 12:21 am |

ThinkAgain

All these "born-again" Christians are just weak-minded folks who suffered a psychic break, that's all.

September 29, 2011 12:30 am at 12:30 am |

PAST THE "AMERICAN JOBS ACT" NOW!!!!!!!

She talking about you Romney! Mormon is not welcome in the fold of evangelical christian. Good luck Romney with the bible belt south.

September 29, 2011 12:41 am at 12:41 am |

Ibrahim

Ahhahahaha lol ! Lol! Not to settle for less ?????? U did exactly that by staying with Marcus !!!!!!!!

September 29, 2011 12:42 am at 12:42 am |

A Democrat in North Carolina

Im a Christian,And what i donot understand is when you say in public that you are a Christian then go on the campaign trail and demonize your opponent i mean really, i donot get that.I thought the bible tells you to pray for those i authority.Not to speak evil of no man like some politicians do that called themselves Christians come on that i donot get.

September 29, 2011 12:47 am at 12:47 am |

Aaron

Don't settle, lower your standards, go subpar and insane...pick Bachmann! And don't worry about the meat at the church dinners....she'd make sure it's full of ecoli and salmonella after cutting out those pesky government regulations.

September 29, 2011 12:56 am at 12:56 am |

Bill in Florida

"The White House hopeful" is all she'll ever be, thank God.

September 29, 2011 12:59 am at 12:59 am |

Bill in Florida

"We need to stand up to government takeover" - except for the government takeover of women's bodies, which is totally OK ...

September 29, 2011 01:01 am at 1:01 am |

thomas

I bet she's good at Karaoke !

September 29, 2011 01:11 am at 1:11 am |

Nacho Cheese

I think you meant Minnesota ... but we'd prefer not to claim her.

September 29, 2011 01:54 am at 1:54 am |

Epimetheus

What she is describing is a separation from reality. Lithium and thorazine, along w/ good therapy, are what she needed. Unfortunately, Michele was the victim of a badly batched psychic lobotomy.

September 29, 2011 02:12 am at 2:12 am |

Henry Miller, Libertarian

Considered objectively, religion is a kind of insanity–hearing voices no one else can hear, seeing things no one else can see, and so on. Generally, it's a benign form of insanity, but some people take it right over the edge...

September 29, 2011 03:11 am at 3:11 am |

Brian

i agree strong with her

September 29, 2011 04:03 am at 4:03 am |

Eric

She is actually even more out there than Palin!

September 29, 2011 04:43 am at 4:43 am |

Ain't life strange?

I'm not as worried about a president who is submissive to her husband as I am about one making decisions on 'what god would do' in any given situation. And its not the idea of what god would do, its what her interpretation of what god would do that scares me. If there is a god, then he would be a loving god. The way this woman talks about people and issues is not the way a loving god would. I mean... let he who is without sin cast the first stone... vegence is mine sayeth the Lord... render unto Ceaser what is Ceaser's and unto God what is God's. Even in the new testament Jesus drew a line between 'church and state'. I don't think I want anyones distorted view of what god would do running our country.

September 29, 2011 05:48 am at 5:48 am |

Marie MD

Flake, they have settled with your husband the barbarian and really you are toast!

September 29, 2011 06:23 am at 6:23 am |

NATHAN WIMBERLY

Her campaign is dead. FoxLies,CNN and CSPAN are the only places you see her. Snooki Palin circles her corpse like a vulture.

September 29, 2011 06:28 am at 6:28 am |

David

Bachman go on the road with your fellow pinhead Palin.

September 29, 2011 07:29 am at 7:29 am |

G Foster

This woman should be arrested for sedition. She essentially advocates the overthrow of government, which by the way she is part of. Bachmann uses the most subversive language I've heard in a prominent politician.

September 29, 2011 07:44 am at 7:44 am |

AdrianUK

Good God this woman is seriously scary! I hope everyone in the US realises that she and the other Tea Party candidates have no ones interest in mind but there own! This is from a UK conservative who thinks the Christian fundamentalists are one of the most scary political movements on the planet!
One question/scenario I would like some answers to please! – A young mother of a family is diagnosed with cancer and has limited medical insurance, does Bachmann and her supporters think it is morally acceptable and Christian, that the family must choose between homelessness, bankruptcy or losing their mother to the illness?
I want to be educated on this point!